Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Vince Gaskell, now 56, joined the Criminal Records Bureau(CRB) as chief executive in 2003 after working as Change Director at the Child Support Agency and the Department for Work and Pensions.

During his time at the CRB he oversaw:

* the prevention of more than over 80,000 unsuitable people from gaining access to children or the vulnerable, as a direct result of CRB checks

* an increase in customer satisfaction each year from 50% back in 2002 to over 90% in 2007

* CRB achieving self-funding status with its fees frozen for the past two years.

It must be remembered of course that CRB checks are also undertaken not only on directly on behalf of Public Sector organisations but also private companies and individuals through such bodies such as the Security Industry Authority -"Last year, for instance, we completed over 116,000 checks for the security industry. That’s in the context of finalising between 3,000,000 and 3,500,000 checks overall. In terms of the checks we carry out on behalf of the security sector, 99% of them are submitted by the SIA." Said Vince in an interview in 2007 to info4Security (see also, his interesting remarks about sharing data internationally)

The SIA manage the licensing of the private security industry as set out in the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA have 2 principal responsibilities

Now Vince is to join the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) board as a member and executive director for New Service Implementation to increase capability in the run up to the start of the National Identity Scheme.

Currently this covers ( catchily entitled "Wave One":* The first stage of the National Identity Scheme goes live on 25 November with the first identity cards for non-EEA foreign nationals

* identity cards for airside workers at Manchester and London City airports when they go-live from autumn 2009 and, subsequently, others working in sensitive roles and locations..." as part of an 18-month evaluation period of the benefits for this sector."

* the plan to allow the public to pre-register their interest in the identity card programme, with a small number of citizens being issued cards in late 2009.

* the incremental roll-out of identity cards for young people from 2010 starting in 2011/12 general roll-out will begin - for more details see The National Identity Scheme Delivery plan , which was was published in March 2008.

The delightful Home Secretary made a speech to the Social Market Foundationon 6th November 2008 setting out the triumphal progress of this absurd and immensely costly scheme for identity cards and actions claimed to have been taken in response to issues raised by the public. "Making Identity Cards a reality" (text)

She also claimed that over the next ten years the cost of setting up and running the UK scheme is £4.7 Bn. and that the foreign national scheme will cost £326m (for this year or 10 years was not clear) .

Darling Jacquie also explained how the provision of cards would involve the "market" ..."As the Delivery Plan we published last March set out, we want these services to be provided by the market, giving people a competitive choice that ensures convenience and cost-effectiveness" .. and providing a lucrative business for their friends in the security industry.

Apparently according to Identity and Passport Service chief executive, James Hall, we are now at an "exciting phase in delivering the National Identity Scheme" . Vince will apparently enable the IPS to use his experience with the CRB as it builds its relationships with the many public and private organisations which will use passports and identity cards as a core part of their personal security and identity assurance regimes."